Use of peo-pbo block copolymers in ophthalmic compositions

ABSTRACT

The use of poly(oxyethylene)-poly(oxybutylene) block copolymers in pharmaceutical compositions useful for modifying the surfaces of contact lenses and other medical devices is disclosed. The present invention is based in-part on a discovery that this class of compounds is particularly efficient in wetting hydrophobic surfaces, such as the surfaces of silicone hydrogel contact lenses and other types of ophthalmic lenses. Such compounds are also useful for cleaning purposes. The use of the compounds as surfactants in various types of compositions for treating contact lenses therefore represents a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to ophthalmic compositions containingone or more block copolymers referred to as(polyoxyethylene)-(polyoxybutylene) block copolymers (“PEO-PBO”). Theinvention is particularly directed to the use of PEO-PBO blockcopolymers as wetting and/or cleaning agents in compositions fortreating contact lenses.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Hydrogels are water swollen three-dimensional polymeric networks thatare used in a variety of biomedical applications including drug deliveryagents, prosthetic devices and contact lenses. It is well establishedthat the surface characteristics of hydrogels are determined by theorientation of hydrophobic and hydrophilic moieties of themacromolecules. See, e.g., Ketelson et al., Colloids and Surfaces B:Biointerfaces, Vol. 40, pages 1-9 (2005).

Because contact lenses are in intimate contact with the corneal surfaceand the human tear film, which is composed of proteins, lipids,inorganic cations (e.g., calcium) and mucins, the biocompatibilitycharacteristics of the lenses are directly affected by the surfacewettability properties of the hydrogel materials, from which the lensesare formed. In particular, evaluating the surface wettability propertiesof a lens material is important because such properties affect thestability of the tear film. To maintain a stable tear film, a contactlens material must have hydrophilic surface properties. If the contactlens material becomes hydrophobic, the tear film may be disrupted. Todetermine the wettability of a surface via an aqueous solution, such ashuman lacrimal fluid, i.e., tears, the contact angle is measured. Thespreading of an aqueous fluid on a surface indicates that the surface ishydrophilic, thereby resulting in a low contact angle. The surface ishydrophobic if a drop of aqueous fluid does not spread, therebyresulting in a high contact angle.

A new family of contact lens materials, silicone hydrogels (“SiH”), isgradually replacing traditional hydro gels as the material of choice forextended wear soft contact lenses. Silicone hydrogel materials havesignificantly higher oxygen permeability than traditional soft lenshydrogels due to the presence of siloxane functional groups.Additionally, the presence of siloxane groups in SiH materials resultsin a lens surface having hydrophobic properties. An example of a SiHlens is the Acuvue Advance® contact lenses marketed by Johnson &Johnson.

Various techniques, for example, plasma surface treatments andincorporation of molecules within the lens material, have been utilizedin order to provide a biocompatible, hydrophilic and wettable lenssurface. Although modifying the surface can improve biocompatibility, ithas also been reported that some silicone hydrogel materials accumulatelipids over time, and that this build-up may result in a decrease in thewettability of the silicone hydrogel lens material and surface.

The wettability characteristics of the surfaces of contact lenses mayalso be modified by reducing the amount of hydrophobization on thesurfaces. Surfactants have been utilized in prior compositions fortreating contact lenses, for example poloxamers and poloxamines, such asthe Pluronic® and Tetronic® brands of surfactants, which arepoly(oxyethylene)-poly(oxypropylene) (“PEO-PPO”) block copolymers, havebeen used extensively in prior products utilized to treat contactlenses. However, such surfactants do not wet SiH lenses efficiently.

British Patent No. 722,746 (Lundsted) discloses surface active compoundsderived from higher α, β alkylene oxides.

U.S. Pat. No. 2,828,345 (Spriggs) discloses hydroxypolyethylene diethersof polyoxybutylene glycols.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,360,451 (Schmolka) discloses amphoteric surfactant gelscontaining a polyoxybutylene-polyoxyethylene block copolymer.

In view of the foregoing, there is a need for new methods andcompositions for modifying silicone hydrogel lens materials to impartimproved surface wetting and bio compatibility characteristics duringwear. The present invention is directed to satisfying this need.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to the use of block copolymersreferred to as (polyoxyethylene)-(polyoxybutylene) block copolymers(“PEO-PBO”) to modify the surface properties of ophthalmic medicaldevices, so as to enhance the wettability of the devices, and facilitatecleaning of the devices. The PEO-PBO block copolymers described hereinmay be contained in various types of compositions for treating medicaldevices, such as wetting solutions, soaking solutions, cleaning andcomfort solutions, and disinfection solutions. The present invention isparticularly directed to the use of PEO-PBO copolymers in suchcompositions for treating contact lenses, especially SiH lenses.

The primary function of the PEO-PBO block copolymers in the compositionsof the present invention is to treat the surface of a medical device,particularly an ophthalmic device, such as a contact lens or anintraocular lens. Such treatment facilitates the wettability of thedevice and/or the cleaning of the device. This surface treatment hasbeen found to be particularly effective relative to enhancing thewettability of SiH contact lenses.

The block copolymers may also be utilized to: (a) enhance theantimicrobial activity of ophthalmic compositions; (b) prevent or reducethe uptake of biocides by contact lenses; (c) stabilize tear films; (d)facilitate the removal of proteins and/or lipids from the surfaces ofcontact lenses; (e) prevent protein and lipid deposit formation; (f)stabilize ocular emulsions; (g) prevent or reduce uptake of biocides ordrugs into contact lenses or onto container surfaces; (h) function as adrug solubilizer; (i) enhance drug penetration; (j) function as comfortand cushioning agents; and/or (k) decrease the adhesion of microbes tothe surfaces of contact lenses or other medical devices. All of theabove utilities for the block copolymers of the present invention dependon the block chemistry being used, i.e, the ratio of hydrophilic (PEO)to hydrophobic (PBO) segments. The copolymers are effective at lowconcentrations, may be instilled directly into the eye, and arecompatible with antimicrobial agents utilized to preserve aqueouspharmaceutical compositions from microbial contamination and/or todisinfect contact lenses.

The present invention is based in-part on a finding that PEO-PBO blockcopolymers can be used to effectively modify contact lens surfaceproperties at low concentrations. More specifically, it has beendiscovered that the PEO-PBO block copolymers described herein areretained on hydrophobic surfaces effectively and efficiently, therebychanging the wettability of the surfaces, as reflected in improved andsuperior wetting properties.

Although there may be several reasons for this change in surfacechemistry using the PEO-PBO block copolymers, it is believed that byusing poly(oxybutylene) as the hydrophobic block, the surface activeproperties are significantly different from those of surfactantscurrently used in lens care products, such as poloxamers andpoloxamines. It has been shown that PEO-PBO block copolymers, relativeto known PEO-PPO block copolymers, such as Pluronic® and/or Tetronic®block copolymers, display superiority in reducing surface tension atinterfaces, pack more efficiently at interfaces, have lower criticalmicelle concentrations and can be produced with high purity (lowpolydispersity). By using a more hydrophobic block, i.e., oxy(butylene)versus oxy(propylene), a lower molecular weight block copolymer can beprepared with significant hydrophobic character. The hydrophobiccharacter of the oxybutylene provides improved interfacial properties.These properties lead to high rates of diffusion to an interface orsubstrate and greater retention/improved substantivity on hydrophobicsurfaces, and allow lower concentrations to be used to achieve a desiredproperty, compared to the concentrations required for PEO-PPO blockcopolymers such as the Pluronic® and Tetronic® brands of surfactantsthat have been extensively used in prior compositions for treatingcontact lenses. The above-described characteristics of the PEO-PBO blockcopolymers offer significant advantages over other known blockcopolymers.

A first embodiment of the present invention is directed to a method ofmodifying the surface of a contact lens which comprises placing the lensin an amount of a contact lens treatment solution of the type describedherein sufficient to cover the lens, and soaking the lens in thesolution. Another embodiment is directed to a method of wetting acontact lens with said aqueous solution and to a silicone hydrogelcontact lens wherein a poly(oxyethylene)-poly(oxybutylene) blockcopolymer is absorbed within the lens matrix and/or adsorbed to surfacesof the lens.

Another embodiment is directed to ophthalmic compositions comprising atleast one poly(oxyethylene)-poly(oxybutylene) block copolymer of thetype described herein and an ophthalmically acceptable vehicle therefor.Such compositions may be formulated so as to achieve wetting of contactlenses, cleaning of contact lenses, or both wetting and cleaning ofcontact lenses.

The present invention is more fully discussed with the aid of thefollowing figures and detailed description below.

The present invention will be better appreciated by reference to thefollowing Detailed Description.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION

As utilized herein, the following abbreviations and terms, unlessotherwise indicated, shall be understood to have the following meanings:

The abbreviation “SiH” means silicone hydrogel.

The abbreviation “PEO-PPO” means poly(oxyethylene)-poly(oxypropylene).

The abbreviation “PEO-PBO” means poly(oxyethylene)-poly(oxybutylene).

The abbreviation “PEO-PBO-PEO” meanspoly(oxyethylene)-poly(oxybutylene)-poly(oxyethylene).

The abbreviation “PEG” means polyethylene glycol.

The abbreviation “b.d.l.” means below detection limit.

The abbreviation “PHMB” means polyhexamethylene biguanide.

The abbreviation “mOsm/kg” means milliosmoles/kilogram of water.

The abbreviation “pHEMA” means poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate).

The abbreviation “HLB” means hydrophilic-lipophilic balance.

The abbreviation “EO” means oxyethylene.

The abbreviation “BO” means oxybutylene.

The term “contact angle” is a quantitative measure of the wetting of asolid by a liquid and defined geometrically as the angle formed by aliquid where liquid, gas and solid phases intersect. Alternative,related terms that may be used herein include “wetting angle” or“advancing contact angle.”

The term “hydrophilic” means having a strong affinity for water.Alternative, related terms that may be used herein include“hydrophilicity”.

The term “hydrophobic” means having little or no affinity for water.Alternative, related terms that may be used herein include,“hydrophobicity”.

The term “pHEMA-MAA” means contact lenses comprised ofpoly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate-co-methacrylic acid). ExemplarypHEMA-MAA lenses include “Acuvue® 2” (Johnson & Johnson).

The term “surfactant” means a substance capable of reducing the surfacetension of a liquid, e.g., water or an aqueous solution, in which thesubstance is dissolved.

The term “wetting” means converting a hydrophobic surface whereon aliquid (e.g., water) does not spread because the liquid has an increasedsurface tension to a surface that is hydrophilic whereon the liquidspreads readily because its surface tension is reduced, as determined bya contact angle experiment. Alternative, related terms that may be usedherein include “wettability”.

The term “uptake” refers to the amount of surfactant that is absorbedand/or adsorbed by a contact lens or other medical device. Alternativeterms that may be used herein include, “uptake concentration”,“surfactant uptake”, “uptake results”, “uptake data” and “uptakeconcentration of surfactants”.

The term “oxyethylene” means a two carbon alkylenyl group bonded to anoxygen atom, for example —CH₂—CH₂O—.

The term “oxybutylene” means a four carbon alkenyl group bonded to anoxygen atom, for example, —[OCH₂C(CH₂CH₃)H]—.

The term “block copolymer” is a polymer that has at least onehomopolymeric chain of one monomer and at least one additionalhomopolymeric chain of a second monomer. Exemplary configurations ofsuch block copolymers include branched, star, di-block, tri-block andcyclic, wherein the cyclic configuration is preferred.

The term “homopolymer” means a polymer formed from a single monomer; forexample, polyethylene formed by polymerization of ethylene.

The term “an amount effective to preserve” means an amount of anantimicrobial agent effective in producing the desired effect ofpreserving the solutions described herein from microbial contamination,preferably an amount which, either singly or in combination with one ormore additional antimicrobial agents, is sufficient to satisfy thepreservative efficacy requirements of the United States Pharmacopoeia(“USP”).

The term “an amount effective to disinfect” means an amount ofantimicrobial agent effective in producing the desired effect ofdisinfecting contact lenses by substantially reducing the number ofviable microorganisms present on the lenses, preferably an amount which,either singly or in combination with one or more additionalantimicrobial agents, is sufficient.

The term “an amount effective to clean” means an amount of a cleaningagent that facilitates removing, and is preferably effective to remove,debris or deposit material from a contact lens contacted with thecleaning agent containing composition.

The term “ophthalmically acceptable vehicle” means a pharmaceuticalcomposition having physical properties (e.g., pH and/or osmolality) thatare physiologically compatible with ophthalmic tissues.

The block copolymers utilized in the present invention comprisecompounds that contain hydrophilic and hydrophobic segments that can bealtered to control the HLB (hydrophilic-lipophilic balance), molecularweight and other properties of the block copolymers using well knownanionic polymerization techniques. More particularly, the blockcopolymers of the present invention are those that include apoly(oxyethylene) block as the hydrophilic component and apoly(oxybutylene) block as the hydrophobic component. These may be inform of a di-block copolymer, denoted as PEO-PBO, a tri-block copolymer,represented as PEO-PBO-PEO or PBO-PEO-PBO, or other block-typeconfigurations. Unless expressly indicated to the contrary, allreferences to “PEO-PBO block copolymers” herein include all of theforegoing forms. These copolymers may also be described in terms of theapproximate or average value assigned to the respective repeating group.For example, (EO)₂₀(BO)₅, where the average value of the oxyethylenegroup is 20, and the average value of the oxybutylene group is 5.

Preferred polymers of the present invention are di-block copolymers ofthe following general formula:

(EO)_(m)(BO)_(n)  (I)

wherein m is an integer having an average value of 10 to 1000 and n isan integer having an average value of 5 to 1000.

PEO-PBO di-block copolymers of the following general formula areparticularly preferred:

wherein R is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, methyl,ethyl, propyl and butyl; m is an integer having an average value of 10to 1000; and n is an integer having an average value of 5 to 1000.

Most preferred is a copolymer of formula (II) wherein R is methyl; m hasan average value of 45; and n has an average value of 10.

The PEO-PBO block copolymers utilized in the present invention have amolecular weight in the range of 1,000 to about 100,000 Daltons; andmore preferably in the range of 1,000 to about 15,000 Daltons.

Maintaining a proper hydrophilic-lipophilic balance (HLB) impartscertain properties to the PEO-PBO block co-polymer compositions of thepresent invention. For example, the HLB of the block co-polymersutilized in the compositions of the present invention is directlyrelated to the solubility, surface wettability, and interfacial surfaceactivity properties of the compositions of the present invention.

The BO portion of the block copolymer of formula (I) is hydrophobic andis primarily responsible for the wettability properties of thecompositions described herein. The EO portion of the copolymer providesthe compositions with hydrophilic properties, but more importantly, itis this portion of the co-polymer that determines the aqueous solubilityof the copolymers. Although it is possible to utilize solubilizingagents in the compositions of the present invention, in which case theratio of the EO to BO segments is somewhat less critical, it ispreferred to utilize copolymers that do not require solubilizing agents,as such compounds may disrupt or modify the HLB, which in turn mayadversely affect the wettability properties of the compositions, causeocular irritation, or create other concerns. Therefore, the preferredcopolymers of formula (I) are those wherein there is a predominance ofEO to BO segments. That is, the variable “m” in formula (I) and formula(II) above is preferably greater than the variable “n”. The PEO-PBOblock co-polymers will preferably have a ratio of EO to BO segments offrom about 2:1 to about 10:1, with a ratio of about 3:1 to about 6:1being most preferred.

The foregoing PEO-PBO block copolymers may be prepared by theapplication or adaptation of known methods described in the literature,for example, as described in Nace, V. M. J. Am. Oil Chem. Soc. 1996, 73,1; Yang, Z.; Pickard, S.; Deng, N.-J.; Barlow, R. J.; Attwood, D.;Booth, C. Macromolecules 1994, 27, 2371; Yang, Y.-W.; Deng, N.-J.; Yu,G.-E.; Zhou, Z.-K.; Attwood, D.; Booth, C. Langmuir 1995, 11, 4703; Yu,G.-E.; Yang, Y.-W.; Yang, Z.; Attwood, D.; Booth, C.; Nace, V. M.Langmuir 1996, 12, 3404; Chaibundit, C.; Mai, S.-M.; Heatley, F.; Booth,C. Langmuir 2000, 16, 9645; Bedells, A. D.; Arafeh, R. M.; Yang, Z.;Attwood, D.; Heatley, F.; Pedget, J. C.; Price, C.; Booth, C. J. Chem.Soc., Faraday Trans. 1993, 89, 1235; and Kelarakis, A.; Havredaki, V.;Yu, G.-E.; Derici, L.; Booth, C. Macromolecules 1998, 31, 944, theentire contents of each of which are hereby incorporated in the presentspecification by reference. The foregoing PEO-PBO block copolymers mayalso be prepared by the application or adaptation of known methodsdescribed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,828,345 (Spriggs), and U.S. Pat. No.2,174,761 (Schuette et al.), the entire contents of each of which arehereby incorporated into the present specification by reference.

The PEO-PBO block copolymers described above may be synthesized using awell defined polyethylene glycol (PEG) polymer by controlled addition ofoxybutylene to the primary hydroxyl group of the PEG polymer. Forexample, the PEO-PBO di-block copolymer (EO)₄₅(BO)₁₀ may be preparedaccording to the following general reaction scheme:

Other variations of the block chemistry structure may also be prepared,using techniques and methods readily available and well-known to thoseskilled in art. For example, the following reaction process may beutilized for the preparation of tri-block copolymers of the form(EO)_(m)(BO)_(n)(EO)_(m):

The above-described block copolymers and variations thereof may be usedin combination, either with each other, or with other types of polymers.For example, PEO-PBO block copolymers or variations thereof may be usedin combination with nonionic surfactants (e.g., poloxamer and poloxamineblock copolymers, such as the Tetronic® brand of surfactants availablefrom BASF) to provide additive or synergistic effects where appropriate.In a preferred embodiment, the PEO-PBO block polymers of the presentinvention are used in combination with poloxamine block copolymers. ThePEO-PBO block copolymers may also be functionalized with specific endgroups for specific surface reactions to covalently bind the polymer toa surface or prepare a new polymer material. The PEO-PBO blockcopolymers that may be utilized in the present invention are not limitedrelative to structure or molecular weight, so long as the blockcopolymers are soluble in aqueous solutions and are non-toxic toophthalmic tissue at concentrations on the order of those describedherein.

The amount of PEO-PBO block copolymer required in the compositions ofthe present invention will vary depending on the particular blockcopolymer selected and the purpose or function for which the blockcopolymer is being utilized (e.g., contact lens cleaning, contact lenswetting and/or inhibition of uptake of lipids or other biomolecules), aswell as on other variables, such as the identity and physical propertiesof other components in the compositions. The determination of the idealconcentration of a particular copolymer in a given composition can bedetermined through routine testing. Such concentrations are referred toherein by means of the function to be performed by the PEO-PBO blockcopolymers, such as, “an amount effective to clean”, “an amounteffective to enhance wettability”, “an amount effective to inhibit theuptake of biomolecules”, and so on.

The total amount of PEO-PBO block copolymers contained in thecompositions of the present invention will typically be in the range of0.001 to about 1 weight/volume percent (“w/v %”), preferably about 0.05to 0.5 w/v %, and more preferably between 0.1 to 0.2 w/v %.

The block copolymers of the present invention may also be combined withother components commonly utilized in products for treating contactlenses, such as rheology modifiers, enzymes, antimicrobial agents,surfactants, chelating agents, buffering agents or combinations thereof.

The compositions may also contain one or morepoly(oxyethylene)-poly(oxypropylene) block copolymers such as poloxameror poloxamine copolymers (e.g., poloxamine 1304, which is commerciallyavailable as “Tetronic® 1304”). Poloxamers, also known by the trade namePluronic™, are nonionic block copolymers composed of a centralhydrophobic chain of poly(oxypropylene) flanked by two hydrophilicchains of poly(oxyethylene). Poloxamines, also known by the trade nameTetronic™, are tetrafunctional block copolymers which contain fourpolyethylene oxide (PEO)-polypropylene oxide (PPO) chains joined to thenitrogen atoms of a central ethylene diamine moiety. A particularlypreferred embodiment of the present invention is a compositioncomprising a block copolymer of the formula

and poloxamine 1304.

One or more of the above-described poly(oxyethylene)-poly(oxypropylene)block copolymers may be contained in the compositions of the presentinvention in an amount effective to facilitate wetting and/or cleaningof contact lenses, which is referred to herein as an “effective amount”.Such amount will typically be in the range of 0.001 to about 1weight/volume percent (“w/v %”), preferably about 0.05 to 0.5 w/v %, andmore preferably between 0.1 to 0.2 w/v %.

The compositions of the present invention may contain one or moreophthalmically acceptable antimicrobial agents in an amount effective topreserve the solution from microbial contamination of the solutions orin an amount effective to disinfect contact lenses by substantiallyreducing the number of viable microorganisms present on the lenses. Thelevels of antimicrobial activity required to preserve ophthalmiccompositions from microbial contamination or to disinfect contact lensesare well known to those skilled in the art, based both on personalexperience and official, published standards, such as those set forth inthe United States Pharmacopoeia (“USP”) relative to preservativeefficacy, and EN ISO 14729: 2001 relative to contact lens disinfection,and similar publications.

The invention is not limited relative to the types of antimicrobialagents that may be utilized. The preferred biocides include: alkylamidoamines, polyhexamethylene biguanide polymers (“PHMB”),polyquaternium-1, and amino biguanides, such as those described U.S.Pat. No. 6,664,294. The most preferred antimicrobial systems arepolyquaternium-1 and a combination of polyquaternium-1 andmyristamidopropyl dimethylamine (“MAPDA”).

Amidoamines and amino alcohols may also be utilized to enhance theantimicrobial activity of the compositions described herein. Thepreferred amidoamines are MAPDA and related compounds described in U.S.Pat. No. 5,631,005 (Dassanayake, et al). The preferred amino alcoholsare 2-amino-2-methyl-1-propanol (“AMP”) and other amino alcoholsdescribed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,319,464. The entire contents of the '005and '464 patents are hereby incorporated in the present specification byreference.

The compositions of the present invention that are adapted for thetreatment of contact lenses may include agents to enhance the cleaningor disinfection of the lenses. Such agents may include polycarboxylates,for example, citrate, as described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,370,744 and5,037,647, the entire contents of each of which are hereby incorporatedin the present specification by reference.

The compositions must be sterile, aqueous, and physiologicallycompatible. The compositions will typically have a pH in the range of6.0 to about 9.0, and preferably in the range of 6.5 to 8.0. Althoughsodium hydroxide can be used to increase the pH of the formulations,other bases such as triethanolamine, 2-amino-butanol,2-amino-2-methyl-1-propanol (AMP) and tris(hydroxymethyl) aminomethanemay also be used.

A variety of buffering agents may be utilized in the compositions of thepresent invention, such as sodium borate, boric acid, sodium citrate,citric acid, sodium bicarbonate, phosphate buffers and combinationsthereof. Borate and polyol systems may also be used to providebuffering, to enhance antimicrobial activity, or to provide bothbuffering and an enhancement of antimicrobial activity, or other usefulproperties to the compositions of the invention. The borate and polyolsystems which may be used include those described in U.S. Pat. Nos.6,849,253; 6,503,497; 6,365,636; 6,143,799; 5,811,466; 5,505,953; and5,342,620; the entire contents of each are hereby incorporated in thepresent specification by reference.

The ophthalmic compositions of the present invention will generally beformulated as sterile aqueous solutions having an osmolality of fromabout 200 to about 400 milliosmoles/kilogram water (“mOsm/kg”) and aphysiologically compatible pH. The osmolality of the solutions may beadjusted by means of conventional agents, such as inorganic salts (e.g.,NaCl), organic salts (e.g., sodium citrate), polyhydric alcohols (e.g.,propylene glycol or sorbitol) or combinations thereof.

The above-described compositions may be used to treat contact lenses orother devices in accordance with processes known to those skilled in theart. More specifically, the lenses will first be removed from the eyesof the patients, and then will be immersed in the compositions of thepresent invention for a time sufficient to achieve the desired effect,e.g., increased wettability, cleaning and/or prevention of biocideuptake. This immersion will typically be accomplished by means ofsoaking the lenses in a solution for a period ranging from a few hours(e.g, approximately two to four hours) to overnight (e.g., approximatelysix to eight hours). The lenses will then be rinsed and placed in theeye. Prior to immersion in the said compositions, the lenses willpreferably also be rinsed to facilitate cleaning. However, thecompositions of the present invention may also be formulated as wettingdrops that are applied directly to contact lenses while being worn byhuman patients. The compositions may also be utilized as packagingsolutions for contact lenses, i.e., solutions in which the contactlenses are stored from the time of manufacture until a sale to a contactlens wearer.

The present invention may be better understood by reference to thefollowing examples, which are provided to further illustrate certainpreferred embodiments of the invention, and should in no way beconstrued as limiting the scope of the invention. In the followingExample, various methods known to one skilled in the art may be employedto measure the contact angle for lenses according to the presentinvention. Exemplary methods include, but are not limited to, theSessile method or the Captive Bubble method.

EXAMPLE 1 Contact Angle Measurements for Control Lenses: No Pre-Soaking

The contact angles for pHEMA-MAA lenses (Acuvue2®) and silicone hydrogellenses (Acuvue Advance®, O₂ Optix® and Pure Vision®), none having beenexposed to a pre-soak treatment in a surfactant solution, were measuredas described in this Example 1. The contact angle results are reportedin Table 1 below, will hereinafter be referred to as the “Control LensResults.”

Four different brands of contact lenses (one pHEMA-MAA lens type: Acuvue2®; and three silicon hydrogel lens types: Acuvue Advance®, O₂Optix® andPure Vision®) were soaked in Unisol® saline solution overnight to removeresidual packing solution contaminants, prior to measuring the contactangles. The contact angle of each lens was then measured according tothe Sessile drop method, as described below, at room temperature, i.e,23° C.±0.5. The results are presented in Table 1, below.

Sessile Drop Method

A video based contact angle measuring system (OCA 20) from FutureDigital Scientific employing SCA20 software (Version 2.1.5 build 16) wasused. An accelerated approach was developed to evaluate the lens surfacewettability over a specific time period. The pHEMA-MAA lenses weresubjected to sequential wetting and air exposure cycles to simulate theclinical contact lens wetting and drying conditions that occur duringthe normal blinking process. One “cycle” means that a lens was soaked insaline solution for 5 minutes, followed by an exposure of the lens toair for 1.5 minutes. The contact angles of a water droplet on thepHEMA-MAA surface were measured within 10 seconds following each cycle.In all measurements, the left and right contact angles were determinedand the mean of these contact angles was used. For each drop image,three independent fitting measurements were performed to provide threemean contact angles of the same drop image. The average of these threecontact angles was determined and the precision was within ±3°. Thisprocedure was repeated on three new pHEMA-MAA lenses to confirm thereproducibility of the method.

TABLE 1 Contact Angle Measurement for Various Lens Types (°) CycleAcuvue Number Acuvue 2 ® Advance ® O₂Optix ® Pure Vision ® 0 69 103 3090 1 83 105 32 94 2 102 109 40 95 3 95 107 44 95 4 101 108 51 96 5 101103 50 95 6 94 102 56 93 7 109 106 60 96 8 112 106 57 93

The above data demonstrate that the contact angle for all lens typesincreases as the number of cycles increases. The high contact anglesobserved for Acuvue 2®, Acuvue Advance® and Pure Vision® indicate thatthe surfaces of these lenses were hydrophobic and displayed poor wettingproperties towards water.

EXAMPLE 2 Amount of Tetronic® 1304 and (EO)₄₅-(BO)₁₄ Uptake by pHEMA-MAA(Acuvue2®) and Silicone Hydrogel (Acuvue Advance®) Lenses After aPre-Soak in Surfactant Solutions A, B and C

All contact lenses were soaked in Unisol® saline solution overnight toremove residual packing solution contaminants. Surfactant solutions A, Band C were prepared by dissolving each of the formulation components, asshown in Table 2 below, in water. Into a clean glass vial, one lens ofeach type (i.e., one Acuvue 2® one Acuvue Advance®) was taken directlyfrom the pack and pre-soaked in 10 ml of each surfactant solution for 24hours. The lenses were then removed from the solutions and blotted dry.The lenses were then rinsed by immersion in Unisol® saline solution (10mL), removed from the vials, patted dry and stored in a glass vial. Theuptake concentration was then measured using the dye method as reportedin Ketelson et al., Colloids and Surfaces Biointerfaces, vol. 40, pages1-9 (2005). The uptake concentration of Tetronic® 1304 in AcuvueAdvance® silicone hydrogel lenses, treated with formulation A was belowdetection limit (b.d.l.). The other results are shown in Table 2 below:

TABLE 2 Contact Lens Uptake of Tetronic ® 1304 and (EO)₄₅-(BO)₁₄Surfactant Solution Formulation (% wt/% vol) Component A B C Polyquad ®0.0002 0.00025 0.00025 (EO)₄₅-(BO)₁₄ — 0.04 0.09 Tetronic ® 1304 0.1 — —Sorbitol 1.0 1.0 1.0 EDTA 0.05 0.05 0.05 Sodium Chloride 0.3 0.3 0.3Sodium Borate 0.6 0.6 0.6 Propylene Glycol 1.0 1.0 1.0 Purified Water QSQS QS pH 8.0 8.0 8.0 Uptake Concentration of Surfactants (μg/Lens) LensType A B C Acuvue 2 ® 6.3 6.0 10.2 Acuvue Advance ® b.d.l 18.6 25.9

The above data demonstrate that significant levels of Tetronic® 1304 and(EO)₄₅-(BO)₁₄ were measured in both Acuvue 2® and Acuvue Advance®lenses. In particular, (EO)₄₅-(BO)₁₄ was found to have significantuptake for the Acuvue Advance® (silicone hydrogel) lens, as demonstratedby the results obtained with formulations B and C, whereas there was nodetectable uptake of Tetronic® 1304 by the Acuvue Advance® siliconehydrogel lenses treated with formulation A.

EXAMPLE 3 Contact Angle Measurements for Acuvue 2® (pHEMA-MAA) andVarious Silicone Hydrogel Lenses After a Pre-Soak in 0.1% (EO)₄₅-(BO)₁₄Solution (in Unisol®)

All contact lenses were soaked in Unisol® saline solution overnight toremove residual packing solution contaminants. The lenses were thenpre-soaked for 24 hours in a 0.1% (EO)₄₅-(BO)₁₄ solution (in Unisol®).The contact angle of each lens was then measured according to theSessile drop method, as described above in Example 1, at roomtemperature, i.e, 23° C.±0.5.

TABLE 3 Contact Angle Measurement for Various Lens Types (°) CycleAcuvue Number Acuvue 2 ® Advance ® O₂Optix ® Pure Vision ® 0 0 0 0 0 1 00 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 34 0 4 12 0 40 0 5 50 0 44 0 6 40 0 45 0 7 33 0 460 8 75 0 39 0

The above data demonstrate that the contact angle for all lens typesdecreases relative to the control lenses (see Example 1 above).Pre-soaking the lenses in a 0.1% (EO)₄₅-(BO)₁₄ solution in Unisol®saline reduced the contact angles, indicating that the surfaces of alllens types were more wettable towards water compared to their originalsurface properties.

EXAMPLE 4 Contact Angle Measurements for Acuvue 2® (pHEMA-MAA) andVarious Silicone Hydrogel Lenses After a Pre-Soak in a Binary SurfactantSolution Containing 0.1% (EO)₄₅-(BO)₁₄ and 0.1% Tetronic® 1304 (inUnisol®)

All contact lenses were soaked in Unisol® saline solution overnight, toremove residual packing solution contaminants. The lenses were thenpresoaked for 24 hours in a binary surfactant solution containing 0.1%(EO)₄₅-(BO)₁₄ and 0.1% Tetronic® 1304 (in Unisol® saline). The contactangle of each lens was then measured according to the Sessile dropmethod, as described above in Example 1, at room temperature, i.e, 23°C.±0.5.

TABLE 4 Contact Angle Measurement for Various Lens Types (°) CycleAcuvue Number Acuvue 2 ® Advance ® O₂Optix ® Pure Vision ® 0 0 0 0 0 1 00 0 0 2 0 0 16 0 3 0 0 14 0 4 0 0 26 0 5 0 0 30 0 6 0 0 0 0 7 0 0 0 0 80 0 14 0

The above data demonstrate that the contact angles for all lens typesdecreased relative to the control lenses (see Example 1). Pre-soakingthe lenses in the binary solution containing both (EO)₄₅-(BO)₁₄ and 0.1%Tetronic® 1304 led to a significant reduction in the contact anglesacross all lens types, thereby improving wettability of the lenses.

EXAMPLE 5 Amount of Tetronic® 1304, Tetronic® 1107, (EO)₄₅(BO)₁₄ and(EO)₂₀(BO)₅ Uptake by pHEMA-MAA (Acuvue 2®) and Silicone Hydrogel(Acuvue Advance®, O₂ Optix® and Pure Vision®) Lenses After a Pre-Soak inSurfactant Solutions A, B, C and D

Three lenses of each type were soaked in Unisol® saline solutionovernight to remove residual packing solution contaminants. Surfactantsolutions A, B, C and D were prepared by dissolving each of theformulation components, as shown in Table 5 below, in Unisol® salinesolution. Into a clean glass vial, three lenses of each type (i.e.,Acuvue 2® Acuvue Advance®, O₂ Optix® and Pure Vision®) were takendirectly from the pack and pre-soaked in 10 mL of each surfactantsolution. The lenses were then removed from the solutions and blotteddry. The lenses were then rinsed by immersion in Unisol® saline solution(10 mL), removed from the vials, patted dry and stored in a glass vial(3 lenses per vial). The uptake concentration was then measured usingthe dye method identified in Example 2 above. The uptake concentrationwas reported as the as the average of 3 lenses per lens material type.The uptake results (Table 5) showed significant uptake enhancementsusing (EO)₄₅-(BO)₁₄ for the silicone hydrogel lenses compared to theTetronic® block copolymers bearing poly(oxypropylene) as the hydrophobeblock.

TABLE 5 Surfactant Solution (% wt/% vol) Surfactant A B C D Tetronic ®1304 0.1 — — — Tetronic ® 1107 — 0.1 — — (EO)₄₅-(BO)₁₄ — — 0.1 —(EO)₂₀(BO)₅ — — — 0.1 Unisol ® QS QS QS QS Uptake Concentration ofSurfactants (μg/Lens) Lens Type A B C D Acuvue Advance 9 16 36 9 O₂Optix 3 2 2 3 Pure Vision 2 3 16 8 Acuvue 2 10 5 6 11

The above data demonstrate significant uptake enhancements upon using(EO)₄₅-(BO)₁₄ for the most hydrophobic silicone hydrogel lenses (PureVision® and Acuvue Advance®). These results demonstrate the ability ofPEO-PBO block copolymers to interact strongly with hydrophobic surfaces.The improved wettability of the silicone hydrogel lenses (see Examples 3and 4) is believed to reflect the presence of the PEO-PBO blockcopolymer at the surface of the lens materials.

EXAMPLE 6 Contact Angle Measurements for Acuvue 2® (pHEMA-MAA) andAcuvue® Advance® After a Pre-Soak in a Binary Surfactant SolutionContaining 0.1% (EO)₄₅-(BO)₁₀ and 0.05% Tetronic® 1304 (in Unisol®)

All contact lenses were soaked in Unisol® saline solution overnight, toremove residual packing solution contaminants. The lenses were thenpresoaked for 24 hours in surfactant solutions containing either: 0.05%Tetronic® 1304 (Formulation A); or 0.1% (EO)₄₅-(BO)₁₀ and 0.05% Tetronic1304 (Formulation B). The contact angle of each lens was then measuredaccording to the Sessile drop method, as described above in Example 1,at room temperature, i.e, 23° C.±0.5.

TABLE 6 Surfactant Solution Formulation (% wt/% vol) Component A BPolyquad ® 0.001 0.001 ALDOX ® 0.0005 0.0005 (EO)₄₅-(BO)₁₀ — 0.1Tetronic ® 1304 0.05 0.05 Sorbitol 1.2 1.2 EDTA 0.05 0.05 Boric Acid 0.60.6 Sodium Citrate 0.65 0.65 Sodium Chloride 0.1 0.1 EDTA 0.05 0.05AMP-95 0.45 0.45 Purified Water QS QS pH 7.8 7.8 Contact AngleMeasurement for Various Lens Types (°) Acuvue 2 ® Acuvue Advance ® CycleFormulation Formulation Formulation Formulation Number A B A B 0 0 0 0 01 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 76 0 3 0 0 76 0 4 0 0 76 0 5 0 0 47 0 6 0 0 93 0 7 0 082 0 8 0 0 88 0

The above data demonstrate that the contact angles for the Acuvue 2 lenstype decreased for both Formulation A and B relative to control lenses.However, pre-soaking the Acuvue Advance lenses in the solutioncontaining 0.05% Tetronic® 1304 (Formulation A) showed relativelyelevated contact angles. Comparatively, soaking the Acuvue Advancelenses in the binary solution (Formulation B) containing both 0.1%(EO)₄₅-(BO)₁₀ and 0.05% Tetronic® 1304 led to a significant reduction inthe contact angle, thereby improving wettability of the lenses.

1-20. (canceled)
 21. A contact lens product, comprising a package inwhich a contact lens is stored in a packaging solution, wherein thepackaging solution composition comprising 0.001 w/v % to 1% w/v of atleast one poly(oxyethylene)-poly(oxybutylene) block copolymer having amolecular weight in the range of 500 to 100,000 Daltons, and having anosmolality of 200 to 400 milliosmoles/kilogram.
 22. The contact lensproduct according to claim 21, wherein thepoly(oxyethylene)-poly(oxybutylene) block copolymer is of the formula(EO)_(m)(BO)_(n), wherein EO is oxyethylene and BO is oxybutylene, andwherein m is an integer having an average value of 10 to 1000 and n isan integer having an average value of 5 to
 1000. 23. The contact lensproduct according to claim 22, wherein m is greater than n.
 24. Thecontact lens product according to claim 23, wherein the ratio of m to nis in the range of about 2:1 to about 6:1.
 25. The contact lens productaccording to claim 24, wherein the ratio of m to n is in the range ofabout 3:1 to about 6:1.
 26. The contact lens product according to claim25, wherein the average value of m is 45 and the average value of n is10.
 27. The contact lens product according to claim 21, wherein thepoly(oxyethylene)-poly(oxybutylene) block copolymer has a molecularweight in the range of 1,000 to 50,000 Daltons.
 28. The contact lensproduct according to claim 27, wherein thepoly(oxyethylene)-poly(oxybutylene) block copolymer has a molecularweight in the range of 2,000 to 10,000 Daltons.
 29. The contact lensproduct according to claim 21, wherein thepoly(oxyethylene)-poly(oxybutylene) block copolymer is of the formula

Wherein R is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, methyl,ethyl, propyl and butyl; m is an integer having an average value of 10to 1000; and n is an integer having an average value of 5 to
 1000. 30.The contact lens product according to claim 29, wherein R is methyl; mhas an average value of 45; and n has an average value of 10.